he was going to live forever, or die in the attempt.

Pretty Words for Pretty Things

Motojirō Kajii exclaims in his story ‘Under the Cherry Trees’ (1928):
Dead bodies are buried under the sakura! You have to believe it. Otherwise, you couldn’t possibly explain the beauty of the sakura blossoms. I was restless, lately, because I couldn’t believe in this beauty. But I have now finally understood: dead bodies are buried under the cherry trees.

Now more than ever, I want to visit Japan and fit straight into the gawking tourist stereotype.